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Asheboro, NC-- Looks like the week of spring break is off to a good start for the NC Zoo.

Monday, Zoo officials said they had to temporarily close its gates because of crowds. It is the second time in its history, the North Carolina Zoo closed its gates temporarily when the parking lots reached overflow capacity and visitor facilities was also reaching capacity.

By mid-afternoon, as visitors began to leave the park and other guests were allowed to enter.

Monday's attendance was 12,775 guests by 4 p.m, officials said. The park's one-day attendance record is 17,499 which the park said was a free-admission day in 1994.

The park's paid-admission attendance record is 15,041, set in September 1994.

Workers think the new gorilla babies and the opening of "Dinosaurs," the zoo's new animatronic-dinosaur exhibit helped get people to the park.